The combined Nike Sport and ELS program will be initially offered in ten select sites in New York, New Jersey, Florida and California for Nike Tennis, Soccer, Golf, Basketball and Volleyball programs. ELS and Nike Sport Camps plan to offer additional programs in 2013. For a complete list of sport and language locations, please visit http://www.USSportsCamps.com/
“This new partnership bring together two leaders in their fields, with the goal of delivering exceptional youth experiences, combining the best in English instruction and sports training for international students,” says Leanne Benoist, Director of Special Programs & Director of Recruitment and Partner Support/North America ELS Language Centers.
The new Nike Sport and Language programs will be offered as two-, three- or four-week programs. Highlights of the programs include one week of language classes blended with one, two or three weeks of Nike Sports Camps. Campers spend the first week adjusting to the USA, attending language classes in the morning and participating in afternoon activities. Both are designed to increase their English speaking skills. Campers stay the weekend and enjoy the local attractions prior to starting their Nike Sport Camp that following Sunday. Campers may add multiple weeks of sport camp or language to their camp programs depending on the site.
“The objective of the language week is not to teach English in a week,” says Colleen Bertiglia, International Program Director for Nike Sports camps. “Many of our international campers have already had years of English in school. The problem is that they don’t feel comfortable speaking English when they first arrive.” The 15 session per week curriculum is designed to improve campers’ accent, grammar and build English speaking proficiency and confidence so that campers can fully engage and immerse themselves in the camp experience. Adds Bertiglia, “We want them to get better at the sport they love, but we also want them to have an incredible time doing it. Being able to speak the language and engage with other American friends is a huge part of this experience.”
The Nike Sport and Language program follows the record breaking growth that the USA has seen in international visitation and spending. In October 2011, the US Office of Travel and Tourism published its 2010 year in review and reported over 60 million international visitors in 2010, an increase of nearly 9% compared to 2009. According to Student Marketing Research, about 20% of these visitors are international students between the ages of 11 and 24, experiencing the USA through cultural, language, work-related or sport-related programs. “We are seeing a marked rise in international campers coming from international destinations,”
ELS, www.ELS.edu, is the world’s largest network of campus-based English language instruction and university preparation centers, with more than 60 locations in the USA, Canada and Australia. In 2011, ELS celebrated its 50th year of language leadership as evidenced by the more than one million students from over 140 countries who have enjoyed lifetime experiences while learning English.
About US Sports Camp (USSC): headquartered in San Rafael, California, USSC is America’s largest sports camp network and the licensed operator of NIKE Sport Camps. What began 37 years ago as one tennis camp is now a national network with more than 500 camps across the country in a wide variety of sports including Nike Tennis, Golf, Basketball, Soccer and Volleyball. Players, coaches, parents and others interested in Nike Sports Camps and US Sports Camps can visit the company’s website at http://www.USSportsCamps.com
For more information about USSC’s international sport camp and language programs, please contact Colleen Bertiglia, Director Of International Camp programs, Nike Sports Camps 415-451-2215.
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Since 1961, ELS Educational Services, Inc., has assisted international students - more than 1,000,000 from 140 countries – in achieving their personal and professional goals through English preparation, study skills training and professional counseling to gain entry to schools and universities in the United States, Canada and Australia.
ELS is the largest network of campus-based English language instruction centers in the world, offering 60+ study locations in the USA, Canada and Australia, with the majority of locations on university campuses. (www.ELS.edu/
More than 650 colleges and universities around the world accept completion of an advanced ELS level as proof of English proficiency for admission purposes. This makes ELS, together with TOEFL® and IELTS™, one of the three most-accepted standards for proof of English proficiency used by colleges and universities for international student admission. ELS is also the largest administrator of TOEFL® iBT and IELTS™ English proficiency tests in North America.
ELS International Pathways provide a comprehensive service of information, counseling and assistance in admissions to thousands of international students annually, facilitating their enrollment in graduate and undergraduate programs outside their country of origin.
ELS is a leader in teaching quality, and invests in the continual development of its academic staff. A tangible illustration of this is evidenced by ELS faculty presenting more papers and research at the TESOL International Conferences in the past decade than faculty from any other institution.
For further information about career opportunities at ELS, please visit ELS.edu/Careers
ELS Educational Services, Inc. is a subsidiary of Berlitz Corporation, the leader in language and leadership training worldwide since 1878.
www.ELS.edu
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For further information please contact:
Mr. John Nicholson
Director of Marketing and Communications
ELS Educational Services
Jnicholson@els.edu
